Filing-case for drawers



H. J. HOFFMAN.

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. Patented Sept. 8, 1891.

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HORACE J. HOFFMAN, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO THE HOFFMAN- KEEFE OFFICE FILE COMPANY, OF MILIVAUKEE, IVISCONSIN.

FILING-CASE FOR DRAWERS.

SPECIFICATIO1\ forming part of Letters Patent No. 459,139, dated September 8, 1891.

Application filed December 17. 1888. Serial No. 293,771. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HORACE J. HOFFMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illi- 5 nois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Filing-Cases for Drawers, of which I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, IO forming part of this specification.

In Letters Patent No. 382,857, granted to me May 15, 1888, is illustrated a filing-case of the class to which inyinvention more particularly relates. In such patent the main body of the case is composed of sheet-metal sides and partitions, the front of the case being formed with suitable openings to receive the drawers adapted to contain the papers to be filed. In the construction set out in said patent the openings adapted to receive the drawers were made somewhat lower than the front of the drawers, so that the upper portion of the front abutted against the edge of the face or front of the casing. I have found in practice that 2 5 there is a difficulty with ordinary workmanship in making the front plates of the drawers with such exactness as to form a tight joint when such front is closed against the face of the casing, and so also I have found that if .the front plates of the drawers become bent or marred in any way it will prevent the close fitting of the upper portion of the front plates against the face of the casing. Vith the construction set out in my above-mentioned patent any looseness or inaccuracy of fit between the upper portion of the front plate of the drawer and the face of the casin g resulted in leaving a space between such front plate and the casing, through which dust or soot would pass to the papers within the drawer.

The object of my present invention is to so improve the construction of the front of the casing that a closer joint between the front plate of the drawer and the front of the easing will be secured, and this object of invention I have accomplished by providing the drawer-openings in the front of the casing at their tops with an angular flange beneath which the front plates of the drawers can pass and against which the upper part of such front plates can abut when the drawers are in closed position.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a portion of a filing-ease embodying my invention with a series of drawers contained therein, aportion of one side of the case being broken awayfor better illustration. Fig. 2 is a View in vertical longitudinal section through the filingcase and one of the drawers.

A designates the side plate of the filingcase, and A denotes the top plate and A the front plate of said case, these several plates, and as well also the partition plates A being 6 formed of sheet metal,as more fully set forth in my Letters Patent, No. 382,857, granted to me May 15, 1888.

\Vithin the front plate A of the casing is formed a series of openings to receive the drawers B, that serve as receptacles for the papers to be filed. Instead of forming these openings in the front plate A of the case shorter or lower than the front plates Z) of the drawers, as has been heretofore my practice, I form the openings of the front plate of a size to admit the front plates 1) of the drawers, my object in thus increasing the height of the openings being to secure a tighterjointbetween the front plate of the drawer and the casing, and as well also to give to the exterior of the casing a more uniform and sightly appearance, and it is obvious that if the opening be of such size as to permit the front plate of the drawer to slip therein there will be less danger of any space occurring between the front plate of the case and the front plate of the drawer incident to any irregularity or bending of the (llft\VGlplates. In the construction shown, and this I regard as the preferred construction, the top of each opening in the front plate of the casing is formed with an angular flange C, that may be produced by beudingin the manner shown the front edges of the partition-plates A, although, if preferred, this angular flange may be produced in any other convenient manner, and the rearwardly and upwardly extending parts 0 and c of the flange may be omitted altogether, if desired, although I regard their use as prefrco erable,.inasn1uch as they serve to increase the strength of the parts. From this construction it will be seen that when the drawers B have been inserted in proper position within the filing-ease the front plate Z) of each drawer will enter the opening formed in the front plate of the case and its upper edge will abut against the downwardly-extended portion of the angular flange. This down wardly-extended portion of the'flange, together with the forwardly-extending portion, Will make a tight joint with the upper edge of the front plate of the drawer and will guard against danger of dust or soot lodging upon the papers within the drawers,while at the same time a more uniform and regular appearance will be given to the exterior of the case.

I-laving thus described my invention, what I claim'as new, and desire to secure by'Letters Patent, is 7 1. The combination, with a filing-ease for drawers, having suitable openings in its front to admit the front plates of the drawers, of

an angular flange or plate at the top of said openings to form atight joint with the, upper edges of the drawer-plates, substantially as described.

2. In a filing-case for drawers, the combination, with the front plate of the case, having suitable openings therein to admit the front plates of the drawers, of thefangular flange or plate'having the rearwardly and upwardly extending portions 0 and 0, sub 

